Lore
There are many hints towards the background lore in The Depths of Tolagal. The main way of getting the lore to the player is via various notes, found throughout the game in story mode. Most of the below text is taken directly from the game. The Beginning It was a normal Monday morning and I had sent the boy out to procure some game from the woodland market. Nothing unusual, just a regular Monday. I was still waiting for my game three hours later. Something was wrong, the boy was never late. If that brat thought he could get away with stealing from me, he was mistaken! I know where he lives! I was marching towards his house, butcher knife in hand, ready to dispense some swift justice to the little thief. Then I saw the flames, the dead, and the tracks leading off in to the ancient forests. I didn't give a damn who took him. He was MY apprentice, MINE! I followed the trail deep in to the forests, it ended at a clearing close to that damned old fortress of Tolagal. Notes a hastily scrawled note "This is Sgt Peters from 14th caravan guard detail. We are under attack. Orcs. Can't hold out much longer. If you are reading this, we have been taken. Send help." a note "I've been chewing away at the bars of my cell for the last few nights. I don't think it is making much difference, but I have to try. I have to get out of here!" a scrap of paper "They brought another one down yesterday. He was from the town. The butcher's boy, I think. It won't be long before they take over completely. There is no use fighting against the old gods." journal page "Some of the priests came up today and took the butcher's boy away. I shudder to think of what might happen to him... I think I can hear screaming from down below." soldier's journal #1 "I'm stuck baby sitting this damn supply caravan again. I never get to see any action, should have joined the navy. Just noticed something moving out in the forest... It's probably just a rabbit, but I'm going to check it out anyway. Maybe I'll get lucky!" soldier's journal #2 "I was a fool to long for combat. It was terrible. They came out of the trees - it seemed like they were everywhere! Vance, Jerald and Finlay were killed by archers before we knew what was going on. Jacob and I put up a fight, but there were too many of them. I took an arrow to the face and went down, then they swarmed Jacob, biting, slashing, stabbing... I wish they had killed me too. I'm going to die without honor in this damned pit." cultist diary #1 "An Orcish host has moved into the upper levels. This is... problematic. We lack the strength to push them out and they have begun to restrict our access. The masters have avoided war by entering into a... business arrangement... with the beasts." cultist diary #2 "Those barbaric beasts have no idea what the masters have in store for them. They blindly bring more sacrifices in exchange for worthless trinkets. When the Hydra rises, these beasts will be the first to be devoured." cultist diary #3 "The marked one arrive today, as it was written. We will hold him here until the gate is open. We get closer by the hour. Many exulted ones have come to join us - they sense our impending victory." cultist diary #4 "Joy of joys! We have succeeded! The gate is open! I cannot count how many worthless curs were sacrificed. The summoning chambers are littered with their corpses, they will server as food for the exulted ones." cultist diary #5 "The marked one was sent down to our lord this hour. The Hydra shall devour him, and then return to us. Joy of joys, I shall live to see this world devoured! We hear battle from above. It does not matter, they are too late. The marked one will die, as it was foretold." shipping manifest "Shipment #14 for the eastern guard post To be signed for by captain Worthington - x50 Standard issue Iron swords - x15 Besieger maces - x25 hand axes - x500 Iron headed arrows" orcish parchment (dropped by Maugoth) "Brosh maugoth, general, Gimbat uk snagi û za tholl ashi. ''all slaves to the deep dwellers. ''Thrakut shum art vhor tarkob blog. ''give much gold for human blood. 'Fhail agh gûr gimbat LAT û za tholl ashi! 'and I give YOU to the deep dwellers! ''- Za shum Ashdurbûk" ''The great one-who-rules-all orcish parchment (dropped by Ashdurbuk) ''"Za tholl ashi gimbat zag uhrn vor gakh snagi. Skai! ''deep dwellers only gave 4 urns for 6 slaves. F**k! ''"Tai nar ehven thrakut uk snagi gur gimbat. ''didn't even take all of the slaves I brought. ''Za blaghari igu UK uruki! ''weaklings insult ALL orcs! ''Ishi gakh muun uruki sadauk agh thrakat uk tholl ashob art! ''three days we will attack and take all of the dweep dwellers' gold! 'Za blaghari ti MAT! Taob gohds ti MAT! 'weaklings are DEAD! Their gods are DEAD! an ancient scroll ''"The Hydra will return when the blood of the marked one stains its maw." a crumpled note You find a crumpled note in one of the dead captive's pockets. "I have seen the glory of our true masters and await my chance to descend. They lead away the butcher's boy and some others, took them down below. They must be destined for even greater things than I! One of the masters told me that we will never die, if we survive the changing. I am eager to serve for eternity!" waterlogged journal #1 "I remain with the deep dwellers while my comrades progress onwards toward higher honours. I am not worthy. I must serve forever in the deep." waterlogged journal #2 "Soon I shall cast off the shackles of my old life. I can see clearly now. It is my destiny to dwell in this place, protecting the masters from the heretics of the over-world." waterlogged journal #3 "I feel myself growing stronger. I don't know how long I have been here - day and night have no meaning in the deep. They said I will be sent up to treat with the Orcs soon, the masters require more sacrifices. Soon we will destroy those disgusting abominations, they will not be useful once the masters have completed their work." ancient scripture "The gate is shut, the gate is locked. The key is flesh, the key is bone." You are victorious! The thing, whatever it was, was dead. They had worked hard and sacrificed countless innocents to bring it in to our world but it was all for nothing. I went down and carved it a new one before it had reached its full potential. Maybe it needed the boy to reach its true power? One last sacrifice. Not today. Not my boy. Now, what happened to that money he took to market...